The messaging service is a prevalent digital service in the current mobile communication market that enables a message to be sent from one entity to another. The transfer modes of messages include Instant Messaging (IM), Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), email, and so on. With the development of communication technologies, especially with the emergence of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) domain, the contents available from the messaging service are more and more diversified. For example, the message body may include texts, pictures, audios, videos, games, and so on. The IMS messaging service comes in two modes, instant messaging and store-and-forward messaging, both of which are subdivided into session-based messaging and non session-based messaging from the perspective of the different bearing mode. For a session-based message, a connection is created through a session and the message body is transmitted through the created connection. For a non session-based message, the message body is carried in a request message directly, for example, a “MESSAGE” message.
FIG. 1 shows a network reference model of the IMS messaging service where the main network entities include a Message Application Server (MAS) 101, a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) 102, and a User Equipment (UE) 103. The MAS 101 is responsible for processing IMS messaging services. The CSCF 102 is adapted to provide session control services and provide the UE with session control and registration services. The UE 103 may be a Personal Computer (PC), a mobile phone, or a telephone etc.
For ease of description, the calling user equipment is represented by UE 1. The network where UE 1 is located is an originating network 100, and any equipment marked with “1” in the originating network is originating equipment. The called user equipment is represented by UE 2. The network where the called user is located is a terminating network 200, and any equipment marked with “2” in the terminating network is terminating equipment. In FIG. 1, the network marked with “100” is an originating network, and the network marked with “200” is a terminating network.
As shown in FIG. 2, a session-based messaging process in an IMS store-and-forward messaging service in the conventional technology includes the following steps:
Steps 201 to 202: UE 1 sends an INVITE request to MAS 1 through CSCF 1.
The INVITE request includes session description based on a Session Description Protocol (SDP), and the session description includes media information parameters for facilitating MAS 1 to join the session.
Steps 203 to 204: MAS 1 returns a 200 OK response to UE 1 through CSCF 1.
If MAS 1 agrees to join the session, MAS 1 returns a 200 OK response, and a series of media parameters supported by MAS 1 are listed in the session description based on the SDP of the 200 OK response.
Steps 205 to 206: UE 1 returns an ACK message to MAS 1 through CSCF 1 thereby acknowledging reception of the 200 OK response which is sent by MAS 1 in response to the INVITE request.
Step 207: Through a connection based on a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) created in steps 201 to 206, UE 1 transfers the message body to MAS 1.
Steps 208 to 209: UE 1 sends a session termination request which is forwarded to MAS 1 through CSCF 1.
Steps 210 to 211: MAS 1 returns a session termination response to UE 1 through CSCF 1.
Steps 212 to 214: MAS 1 forwards the INVITE request to MAS 2 through CSCF 1 and CSCF 2.
Steps 215 to 217: MAS 2 returns a 200 OK response to MAS 1 through CSCF 2 and CSCF 1.
Steps 218 to 220: MAS 1 returns an ACK message to MAS 2 through CSCF 1 and CSCF 2.
Step 221: Through the TCP connection created in steps 212 to 220, MAS 1 transfers the message body to MAS 2.
Steps 222 to 224: MAS 2 sends a session termination request which is forwarded to MAS 1 through CSCF 2 and CSCF 1.
Steps 225 to 227: MAS 1 returns a session termination response which is forwarded to MAS 2 through CSCF 1 and CSCF 2.
Steps 228 to 229: MAS 2 sends an INVITE request to UE 2 through CSCF 2.
Steps 230 to 231: UE 2 returns a 200 OK response to MAS 2 through CSCF 2.
Steps 232 to 233: MAS 2 returns an ACK message to UE 2 through CSCF 2.
Step 234: Through the TCP connection created in steps 228-233, MAS 2 transfers the message body to UE 2.
Steps 235 to 236: MAS 2 sends a session termination request to UE 2 through CSCF 2.
Steps 237 to 238: UE 2 returns a session termination response to MAS 2 through CSCF 2.
Through the foregoing steps, UE 1 sends the message body to UE 2 in a session-based mode.
The above is a detailed process of transmitting a message in the session-based mode in the messaging service of the store-and-forward mode. In the foregoing steps, steps 201 to 211 are a basic process where the calling user negotiates with the originating MAS to create a connection and transfers the message body through the created connection to the originating MAS. Steps 212 to 227 are a basic process where the originating MAS creates a connection with the terminating MAS and sends the message body from the originating MAS to the terminating MAS. Steps 228 to 238 are a basic process where the terminating MAS creates a connection with the called user and transfers the message body to the called user. Therefore, the message body sent by the calling user arrives at the called user only after being forwarded by the originating MAS and the terminating MAS. Complex interaction is required during the transmission and it takes a long time to transmit the message body to the called user.
Instant messaging differs from store-and-forward messaging in that: the instant messaging service is available only when the calling user and the called user are both online and each instant message is an independent transaction. However, during the implementation of an instant messaging service, the instant message arrives at the called user only after being forwarded by an originating message server and a terminating message server. Complex interaction is also required during the transmission and it takes a long time to transmit the message body to the called user.
In the research process of the present disclosure, the inventor finds that in the technical solution to instant messaging services and store-and-forward messaging services, a message body sent by the calling user arrives at the called user through multiple interactions only after being forwarded through an originating MAS and a terminating MAS in any scenario. The process is rather complicated and it takes a long time to transmit the message body.